Golf club



Oct. 4, 1927.

E. V. MYERS GOLF CLUB Filed April 1927 "'CQZ J- INVENTOR m %QZQJ ByAttorneys, W"

Patented Oct. 4, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE V. MYERS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

GOLF CLUB.

Application filed April 19, 1927. Serial No. 124,881.

This invention relates to golf clubs and aims to provide certainimprovements therein. n In playing golf there are a number of strokeswhich are best performed by a stroke which at least in part is in linewith the desired direction of the ball. In putting, particularly, theideal stroke is one n wh ch the swing of the club head is in a directline toward the hole, and this is true on the backward as well as theforward swing. The club head may, and usually does, describe an arcduring the stroke, but this are should be in a vertical plane whichcoincides with the direction that theball is designed to take. Duringthis stroke the ideal position of the hitting face of the club head isexactly at right angles to the line of travel. of the ball, and thisposition is maintained ideally throughout the entire stroke. This strokeis very difficult to learn accurately.-

According to the present invention I provide a club by which the strokemay be practised, and the hands and wrists or arms are substantiallyforced to form the stroke properly. By consistent use of the inventionthe muscles learn the stroke, with the result that in actual play,putting is much improved. The club provided by my invention may or maynot have a striking portion or head, but for general use the inventiontakes the form of an accessory device to be applied to an ordinaryputter, the accessory being kept as light as possible in order to avoidmaterially changing the balance and weight of the club. The invention isalso useful in connection with other clubs, and it contains the furtherfeatureof providing a marking device carried upon or forming part of theclub, which marking device will leave a streak upon the turf, indicatingwhether the club has been stroked properly on either side of the ball.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate several embodiments of theinvention,

Figure l is a perspective view of the invention in its preferred form.

Fig. 2 is a plan showing the shaft of the club in section.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation.

Fig. 4: is a perspective view of a modification.

Fig. 5 is a plan'showing the shaft in section.

plan showing another and B is the operative part. In all of the drawingsa club head G is shown, the device being applied to an ordinary club.

The device has essentially at least two separated points D and E. Thesetwo points are particularly designed to contact with and slide along astraight edge of some kind such as the baseboard of a room, a door, thelower step of a flight of stairs, or a board arranged edgewise on thefloor. The simplest form of construction is that shown in Fig. 6,wherein the points D and E are the ends of a single piece of rod'F, thelatter being designed to be clamped to a shaft by a clamp I prefer,however, to make the device with the points D and E connected, as shownin the remaining figures, the rod F being properly bent and connected toa clamp piece H which in turn is clamped to the shaft of the club by aclamp member I.

The connecting portion J (see Fig. :2) is best i made straight in avertical plane, or at least not convexed on its outer side J.Horizontally, however, the portion J is best curved, as seen in Fig. 3,in order that any danger of striking the ends of the device against thefloor during the swinging of the club may be avoided.

The device is best rigidly attached to the club in such manner that thestriking face K of the club (if the club has a head) shall be preciselyat right angles to a line drawn between the two points D and 117. In theconstructions of Figs. 1 to 5 the ends of the rod forming the inventionare shown as fixed tightly to the clamp by rivets L in Figs. 4L and 5,and adjustablyby clamp screws N in Figs. 1 and 2. In Figs. 1 and 2 bothends of the rod are fixed to the same clamp section, while in Figs. &and 5 they are fixed to the opposite clamp sections. In either casethere is preferably provided thumb-screw bolts M M, by which the devicemay be easily applied to and removed from the club, or adjusted alongits shaft.

Where the clamp screws N are used, the

' device can be adjusted inwardly and outwardly with respect to the clubhead.

I prefer to provide a covering for those parts of the device which slidealong the straight'edge, in order that the device may move easily andavoid marring or scratching the straight edge. This is shown in thevarious constructions at P. Any suit-able material may be used for thispurpose. such as cloth, rubber, or the like, or, if desired,anti-friction devices of various kinds, such as small rollers of felt,rubber, or the like, may be mounted at the points of contact, as shownat Q, in Fl 7, for example.

In the use of'the invention as applied to a putter, it is best topractice with a straight edge such as a baseboard or the like, ashereinbefore described, and after a certain skill is attained, thedevice may be used to practice with any straight line which does notguide the club, such as a scam in a carpet or a line marked upon thefloor. This will test the unaided ability of the arms. to perform astroke when not guided by the straight edge, while at the same time theguiding points of the club will indicate visually Whether the line isbeing followed.

The invention is susceptible of use in this manner with other clubs thanputters, and for this purpose I prefer to provide a mark ing devicewhich will sweep lightly over the turf at that part of the strokeimmediately before and after hitting the ball. For this purpose thepreferred construction is to make the covering P absorbent and to use itas'a carrier of powder or chalk, or chalk in solution, so that it willleave a marl: upon the turf. If the points D and E are separated as inFig. 6, the'mark will comprise two lines either coincident or separated,depending upon how the club head has turned. 1f the points D and E areconnected as in the remaining figures, the mark will comprise a band ofgreater or less width depending upon how the head has turned. The pointsmay be arranged in any suitable inanner to secure this visual indicationof the position of the club head as it is sweeping past the turf orother object. To secure the results. however, these points whetherseparated or connected must have a distance between them veryconsiderably in excess of the thickness of the metal of the ordinaryiron club from its front to its rear face, If the marker traces only asingle narrow line, the effect of turning of the club head will beimperceptible.

It will be understood that the device may be constructed in manydifferent ways, either as a complete device without the club head, or asan accessory part of the club, so long as it provides at least twoseparated points which will act as a straight edge to guide theto-and-fro motion of the club. The constructions shown are preferredhowever, since they are easily applied to any type of club, beingsusceptible of adjusted positions thereon. If a fabric is used on thebearing portions of the club, this may be a pile fabric which will avoidmarring the straight edge, and which also will act as a carrier for thechalk or other marking material in case this feature'is used.

What I claim is: l. A golf club having fixed at the front of its lowerend two separated bearing points adapted to be used as a gage to providean indicator as to the swing of the club.

2. A golf club having at its front lower I end two separated bearingpoints and means means for attachment to the club, and having meansprojecting forward near the end of the club head for contacting with astraight edge in front of the shaft of the club, said 111621-118providing at least two separated points, whereby the club head is guidedwhen swung in a direction corresponding to the desired travel of theball.

means for attachment to the latter, and having a forward edge which isstraight and elongated in a vertical plane, and is adapted to lie infront of the club head when at tached to the club, said edge having anantifriction device.

An accessory for a golf club having means for attachment to the latter,and hav ing a forward edge which is straight and elongated in a verticalplane, and is adapted to lie in front of the club head when attached tothe club, said edge being curved downwardly with relation to ahorizontal plane.

7. An accessory for a golf club substantia-liy triangular in shape,having a forward guiding edge and two arms leading toward the shaft ofthe club, and clamping means connected with said arms, said forwardguiding edge lying in front of the club head when attached to thelatter.

8. An accessory for a golf club comprising a rod bent to substantiallytriangular shape, the middle being'an elongated portion straight in avertical plane, and the ends being connected with a clamp for attachmentto the club, and the middle lying in front of the club head whenattachedto the club.

9. A golf club having fixed at its lower end two separated bearingpoints adapted for contact with a vertical plane surface and guiding theclub when swung with the handie as a pivot so that the head portion as0. An accessory for a golf club having it slides along such surfacedescribes a vertical are lying in substantially a plane parallel withthe desired straight line of travel of the ball.

10. An accessory for a golf club having an edge which is straight in avertical plane and elongated to provide a guiding surface, such surfaceextending" at the front of the club head and causing the club to swingin a straight line when in contact with a straight edge.

11. An accessory for a golf club having an edge which is straight in avertical plane and elongated to provide a guiding surface, such surfaceextending at the front of the club head and causing the club to swing ina straight line when in contact with a straight edge, and means forattaching said accessory to the club.

12. A golf club having a marker comprising in efiect two marking pointsdistant from each other largely in excess of the width of an ordinaryiron club head from its front to its rear face, and being so disposedthat themark produced on the turf or the like will vary in width inaccordance with the angular position of the club head with regard to itshitting surface while it is passing along the ground.

13. A golf club having a marker comprising in effect two marking pointsdistant from each other largely in excess of the width of an ordinaryiron club head from its front to its rear face and being so disposedthat the mark produced on the turf or the like will vary in width inaccordance with the angular position of the club head with regard to itshitting surface while it is passing along the ground, and such pointshaving means for carrying a marking substance.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

EUGENE V. MYERS.

